What are the benefits of hemp seeds; if I eat them everyday will I fail a drug test?

Hemp is the common name used to describe the Cannabis genus of plants that have long been used as a source of fiber in production of rope, boat sails, paper, and cloth, and which has more recently played an expanding role in the food supply. Hemp seeds and hemp oil are found in an increasing variety of food products and have also been fairly well studied in terms of their nutritional content. Seeds from this group of plants-like most plant seeds-are a good source of essential fatty acids. Linoleic acid, the omega-6 essential fatty acid, accounts for about two-thirds of the essential fatty acids found in hemp seeds. The other third comes from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the omega-3 fatty acid that forms the starting point for production of all other omega-3s in the body. There are also amino acids found in the protein portion of hemp seeds that can make important contributions to daily protein requirements.

With respect to drug testing, I want to point out that hemp is not the same thing as marijuana. Although marijuana and hemp come from the same genus and species of plant, the varieties used in plant breeding are different and hemp only contains very small amounts of the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) cannabinoids found in marijuana. (These substances are the ones responsible for marijuana's psychoactive effects).

I have not seen a research study on consumption of hemp seeds and urinary drug testing for THC. (Urinary THC tests are immunologic tests based on the fact that some of the primary cannabinoid substances in hemp, including delta-9-THC-COOH, are broken down and eliminated in the urine. These tests are sometimes used by athletic commissions, law enforcement officers, and others to monitor marijuana use). The only food-related study I've seen involved consumption of hemp seed oil over the course of four and a half days. In this study, a total of 4.75 ounces of hemp seed oil was consumed over the study period. That amount was sufficient to produce a positive result on a urinary drug test. Whether this same result would hold true for hemp seeds consumed in the same amount, I am not certain, but this is a large amount of oil and most people would be unlikely to consume either hemp seeds or hemp oil in such a large volume.